Running and endorphins: shortcut to happiness

I have always thought that people who exercise, in addition to being healthier, are usually happier. You see them with that smile in the midst of their particular suffering and you realize that that smile is usually transferred to their daily life and lifestyle as modern people would say. Perhaps it is the ability to enjoy suffering, tenacity, perseverance, the spirit of improvement, nonconformity, ... but the truth is that there are studies that show that exercise influences our mental hygiene, leaving aside feelings as harmful as anxiety, stress, or depression.

Thus begins this interesting articles that send us from Lovelyrunners.

In relation to sport and happiness, it seems that part of the enigma could be explained in chemistry, entering the scene endorphins, those great unknown, the explanation of chimeras such as vitality, optimism and joy. But what are they? How are they created? What effect do they have? Can their production be enhanced?

 WHAT ARE ENDORPHINS?

They are peptides that we produce in the pituitary gland, a small gland that is located at the base of the brain. When we do sports this gland is stimulated, producing endorphins in the body. There are studies that show that these endorphins are capable of inhibiting the nerve fibers that transmit pain, in addition to acting at the brain level producing subjective experiences, which are intense sensations, well known by athletes, such as the reduction of anxiety and the sensation of well-being, in addition to the aforementioned analgesia and sedation.

Let's put a touch of history in this post. In 1975, John Hughes and Hans Kosterlitz, discovered a molecule very similar to morphine which they called Enkephalin (“inside the head”). Our organ was shown to manufacture its own chemical neurotransmitters that help you get out of various stressful trances. Since then, these molecules have been classified into various types and called endorphins by a team at John Hopkins University led by Dr. Solomon Snyder, their name coming from a mixture of the words: endogenous (produced by the body) and morphine.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF ENDORPHINS?

Their benefits They are extensive, but we will summarize those that may interest the runner community the most. So much so that the term "runner's high", Something like the runner's well-being.

• They help relieve pain in the event of trauma, extreme inflammation, acute illness, excessive physical activity or extreme exertion, ...
• They create the feeling of pleasure in pleasant situations
• They help to release sex hormones, responsible for sexual desire
• They strengthen the immune system
• They modulate the appetite

In general, we could say that they are responsible for our quality of life.

CAN WE ENHANCE THE CREATION OF ENFORPHINS?

There are several studies that have shown that after aerobic physical activity, there is a clear and significant increase in endorphins. Resistance exercise has powerful antidepressant power, since it would play an important role in improving mood and raising self-esteem, effects that are probably believed to be mediated by these endorphins. Sport is a therapeutic weapon that cannot be replaced by conventional medicine, it is the only medicine that is not sold in pharmacies and it is still free, it is only up to us to make use of this rewarding therapy.

Although sport is one of the engines for its liberation, there are other activities that contribute to the cause

• Satisfying sexual relations.
• Laughter is, without a doubt, one of the factors that most increases our levels of endorphins
• Contact with nature as it always makes us feel better
• Relaxation It can be any activity that reduces our stress level and is satisfactory (relaxation, meditation, visualizations, etc.)
• Have a hobby or hobby
• Enjoy food and its sensations (smells, flavors, etc.), the company, ...
• Music, dancing or singing help us release a large amount of endorphins
• Doing things for the good of others (respecting the environment, being more supportive, helping others, etc.)

 ENDORPHINS AND ADDICTION

Lately, in addition to the increase in endorphins in the blood, another way seems to explain the relationship between running and the euphoria and feeling of well-being that it triggers in people. And it is also that in people who repeat an act that satisfies them, they end up developing an addiction, thanks in part to the release of chemical substances in our brain, such as dopamine, which ends up being the cause of the feeling of well-being in people who They become addicted to exercise.

The saying goes that the habit makes the monk and in this search for happiness, it seems that perseverance and routine in the form of running They can be a contributing link in this chain. So if you were thinking about starting Prozac, give yourself a chance, put on some comfortable sneakers and make the most of it. running your medicine.